Stomach Virus-Like Outbreak At Longview Elementary School Sickens Many; No School Friday

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE GRANT COUNTY HEALTH DIST./MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Moses Lake School District and the Grant County Health District are investigating reports of a large number of students and staff experiencing symptoms of fever, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

These symptoms appear to be the result of an outbreak of stomach flu-like viral sickness (norovirus-like illness). At this time nearly 25% of students are sick. Moses Lake School District officials have chosen to close Longview Elementary on Friday, May 10, 2013.

Sick staff and children should remain at home for minimum of 48 hours after diarrhea and/or vomiting stop (it may be appropriate to remain home even longer if other symptoms persist). It is likely that more students or staff and possibly other community members will become ill in the near future, as norovirus-like illnesses are very infectious.

If you become sick with a stomach virus it is important to stay home, stay away from well family members, clean bathroom and surfaces after use, drink plenty of fluids, don't prepare food for others, and wash your hands often.

Symptoms of norovirus-like infections usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Those infected begin to fall ill about 24 – 48 hours after swallowing the virus, with a range of 12-48 hours. The sickness is usually brief, lasting only one to three days.

This virus is most commonly spread by eating contaminated foods or liquids, touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then placing hands in mouth, or having direct contact with a person who is infected and showing symptoms.

In order to prevent the spread of this virus in your home (and at school), follow these basic prevention strategies:

Wash hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet.

Wash hands with soap and warm water before handling food or ice.

Wash hands with soap and warm water before eating.

Refrain from food handling duties if currently ill and for 2 days after diarrhea and vomiting have stopped.

Discard foods that have been handled or prepared by someone who is, or has recently had, vomiting or diarrhea.

Promptly clean and disinfect any surfaces that become soiled with vomit or diarrhea.

To disinfect hard surfaces use soap and water to clean the surface first and then disinfect the clean surface with a freshly made 10% bleach solution (1 and a 1/2 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water).

Handwashing with soap and warm water is the most effective way to remove norovirus from the hands and should be used when caring for a person with suspected or known norovirus. Hand sanitizers should not be used as a substitute for soap and water.

Additional measures are taking place at the school to prevent further spread of the illness. Health District staff are working closely with the Moses Lake School District and providing CDC recommended instructions, including those on cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces of the school. For additional information visit: www.cdc.gov/norovirus.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact or call Grant County Health District Moses Lake Office at 509-766-7960.

SPOKANE, Wash. - An elderly North Spokane woman has been living in fear for months. She said an estranged relative abandoned a trailer in her backyard and then took off. She said the trailer has now attracted squatters and all sorts of criminal activity. She said she tried desperately to get it removed without any luck.

SPOKANE, Wash. - An elderly North Spokane woman has been living in fear for months. She said an estranged relative abandoned a trailer in her backyard and then took off. She said the trailer has now attracted squatters and all sorts of criminal activity. She said she tried desperately to get it removed without any luck.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - An 8-year-old Sacramento boy was beaten to death with a hammer while protecting his younger sister from being sexually assaulted by his mother's ex-boyfriend, according to court documents.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - An 8-year-old Sacramento boy was beaten to death with a hammer while protecting his younger sister from being sexually assaulted by his mother's ex-boyfriend, according to court documents. Investigators say Dante Daniels was beaten on September 1 and died six days later from his injuries. A criminal complaint says 23-year-old Deandre Chaney Jr. was performing a criminal lewd act on Dante's 7-year-old sister when Dante stepped in to help.

COLFAX, Wash. - Update 6:23 p.m.: Officials with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network say a reported explosion near Colfax Monday afternoon may have been the result of a faulty reading related to an earthquake in Montana.

COLFAX, Wash. - Update 6:23 p.m.: Officials with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network say a reported explosion near Colfax Monday afternoon may have been the result of a faulty reading related to an earthquake in Montana.

SPOKANE, Wash. - It's no secret that Spokane is struggling to fight homelessness in a battle that's been going on for years. People are getting passionate about what is and isn't being done about it. On Monday night, the city of Spokane wanted to hear from the community about tackling the problem of homelessness. Over a hundred people came to the meeting.

SPOKANE, Wash. - It's no secret that Spokane is struggling to fight homelessness in a battle that's been going on for years. People are getting passionate about what is and isn't being done about it. On Monday night, the city of Spokane wanted to hear from the community about tackling the problem of homelessness. Over a hundred people came to the meeting.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

SPOKANE, Wash. - After a house break-in and burglary, one man already had enough on his plate. But then, he found out his dog was missing. “This was his area. This was his spot,” says Sean Copko. Sean got his 9-week-old blue heeler puppy Dale recently. He’s been posting his dog’s picture all over town in the hopes of finding him. “He's a little sweetheart,” he says.

SPOKANE, Wash. - After a house break-in and burglary, one man already had enough on his plate. But then, he found out his dog was missing. “This was his area. This was his spot,” says Sean Copko. Sean got his 9-week-old blue heeler puppy Dale recently. He’s been posting his dog’s picture all over town in the hopes of finding him. “He's a little sweetheart,” he says.

COOLIN, Idaho - The Bonner County Sheriff's Office reports deputies were attempting to serve a felony arrest warrant on a man near the community of Coolin, Idaho. The man was armed an exhibited hostile behavior toward the deputies according the the sheriff's office, which led to the deputies firing upon the man. The man was injured and medical attention was rendered.

COOLIN, Idaho - The Bonner County Sheriff's Office reports deputies were attempting to serve a felony arrest warrant on a man near the community of Coolin, Idaho. The man was armed an exhibited hostile behavior toward the deputies according the the sheriff's office, which led to the deputies firing upon the man. The man was injured and medical attention was rendered.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Regional Health District reports three people have been hospitalized with influenza in Spokane County this season. The SRHD says flu season typically runs from early October through the end of May. Additionally, the SRHD says since July, there have been 10 cases of pertussis in Spokane County.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Regional Health District reports three people have been hospitalized with influenza in Spokane County this season. The SRHD says flu season typically runs from early October through the end of May. Additionally, the SRHD says since July, there have been 10 cases of pertussis in Spokane County.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom next summer, fulfilling a key demand of women's rights activists who faced detention for defying the ban.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom next summer, fulfilling a key demand of women's rights activists who faced detention for defying the ban. The kingdom was the only the country in the world to bar women from driving and for years had garnered negative publicity internationally for detaining women who defied the ban.

SPOKANE, Wash. - One man has died following a motorcycle crash in north Spokane. The crash happened near the Walmart just north of the "Y." Details are limited at this time, but KHQ's Joe McHale is on scene confirming additional details. We will update this story when we know more.

SPOKANE, Wash. - One man has died following a motorcycle crash in north Spokane. The crash happened near the Walmart just north of the "Y." Details are limited at this time, but KHQ's Joe McHale is on scene confirming additional details. We will update this story when we know more.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a double murder suspect and gang member who has been on the run since the killings in Tacoma. KOMO-TV reports (https://goo.gl/zLC2aN ) 26-year-old Santiago Villalba Mederos also was named this week to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a double murder suspect and gang member who has been on the run since the killings in Tacoma. KOMO-TV reports (https://goo.gl/zLC2aN ) 26-year-old Santiago Villalba Mederos also was named this week to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) - Officials say a corrections officer was assaulted at the Washington State Penitentiary. The Union-Bulletin in Walla Walla reports (https://goo.gl/Mk3vyu ) prison spokeswoman Shari Hall said the officer was not seriously hurt in the Monday morning attack and has been treated and released.

WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) - Officials say a corrections officer was assaulted at the Washington State Penitentiary. The Union-Bulletin in Walla Walla reports (https://goo.gl/Mk3vyu ) prison spokeswoman Shari Hall said the officer was not seriously hurt in the Monday morning attack and has been treated and released.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. (AP) - A new manufacturing plant in the city of Spokane Valley will employ 150 people to make engineered-wood products. Katerra, based in Menlo Park, California, plans to open the 250,000-square-foot factory early next year. The factory will produce cross-laminated timber and other engineered products that can replace concrete and steel in wooden high-rise buildings and parking garages.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. (AP) - A new manufacturing plant in the city of Spokane Valley will employ 150 people to make engineered-wood products. Katerra, based in Menlo Park, California, plans to open the 250,000-square-foot factory early next year. The factory will produce cross-laminated timber and other engineered products that can replace concrete and steel in wooden high-rise buildings and parking garages.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - A 41-year-old Wyoming man has survived an encounter with a grizzly bear in which he was twice mauled but still managed to ride on horseback to rescuers. James Moore, of Rock Springs, was hunting about 10 a.m. Monday with two others in the Teton Wilderness in northwest Wyoming when a sow with two cubs attacked him.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - A 41-year-old Wyoming man has survived an encounter with a grizzly bear in which he was twice mauled but still managed to ride on horseback to rescuers. James Moore, of Rock Springs, was hunting about 10 a.m. Monday with two others in the Teton Wilderness in northwest Wyoming when a sow with two cubs attacked him.

KHQ.COM - Marie Tillman, the widow of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, says that her husband's service "should never be politicized in a way that divides us." Marie Tillman released a statement to CNN on Monday after President Donald Trump retweeted an account referencing Pat Tillman and using the hashtag #StandForOurAnthem.

KHQ.COM - Marie Tillman, the widow of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, says that her husband's service "should never be politicized in a way that divides us." Marie Tillman released a statement to CNN on Monday after President Donald Trump retweeted an account referencing Pat Tillman and using the hashtag #StandForOurAnthem.